Pointy Elbows
Last week I was hosting a pre-departure session for the delegates who are joining us next month on our Australian HealthTech Mission to Hong Kong. The topic was about investment, and how to pitch to Chinese investors and, as inevitably happens, we spent time talking about cultural differences. I have written books on this topic, […]
Small is Beautiful
Last week I attended the launch of the annual survey conducted by KPMG and USYD on ‘Demystifying Chinese investment in Australia 2023’ which includes 2022 and now shows the full picture going back to when the survey started in 2007 (16 years in total – see chart below). At first glance, the picture looks somewhat […]
Ageing Pains
It seems I’m not the only one getting old, especially in the Asia Pacific region which, as can be seen from the latest infographic from Visual Capitalist below, will soon be home to 1 billion people over age 65. A more detailed breakdown can be found here. Of course this is nothing new. We’ve known […]
Keeping the Peace
Following on from last week’s Relationships before Transactions, it’s both heartening and encouraging to see photos released from last week’s meeting at the Great Hall of the People between Chinese President Xi Jinping and representatives of the US business, strategic and academic communities. Even some of the most hardened cynics and detractors would, on balance, […]
Relationships before Transactions
Following last week’s successful visit to Australia by China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, there appears to be a high expectation (at least according to the media) that the current tariffs on Australian wine imposed by China in late 2020 will be lifted, perhaps as early as next month. If this happens, it’s going to be […]
The clock ticks for TikTok
I have to admit that I was late to the party with TikTok. It only sprung up on my radar during the Covid lockdowns when my Chinese friends told me they were passing their time at home by watching videos of people dancing, singing and clowning around. I assumed it was only for young people […]
Keeping the peace with ASEAN
A lot was written last week about the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne and there’s no doubt that the ASEAN region represents an important relationship for Australia. Foreign Minister, Penny Wong came into Government promising to improve Australia’s relationship with SE Asia and, after several announcements during the Summit (including A$2 billion to promote business […]
Hong Kong vs Singapore
Let’s be clear, Singapore is a great city. I’ve been going there myself since my late teens and have always been struck by the dynamism, ingenuity and energy of the place and, in particular, the strong and unmistakable national identity that now attaches to all “Singaporeans”. Whilst my current focus is on Hong Kong for […]
Go East!
If you’re involved in the technology business, as a founder, entrepreneur or service provider, you’ll already be aware of the rapid growth of science and technology hubs in Asia, particularly in Japan, China and Korea. In the same way that Silicon Valley has propelled the global domination of US technology over the past 30 years […]
It’s too early to write off Hong Kong!
2024 kicked off with my annual mission to the Asian Financial Forum in January and, in addition to leading a 3 day program for AFF delegates, I spent a full two weeks in Hong Kong catching up with local investors, business partners and friends who provided some unique on-the-ground perspectives. I also spent an interesting […]